A Meeting and a Beginning
by Caitlin M
Summary: This is a pretty sucky story, I think. It was my first post, with my alter ego and my wierd, complicated universe. It's basically about how Vegeta became a shifter (a.k.a. a sorceror type thing). Read it if you want, but I don't think I'm posting any more
1. Shifters & Shifting: All you need to kno...

Shifters and Shifting; A Brief Explanation  
  
Shifting is an art that has existed since the first author penned the first word on the first sheet of paper. It allows the shifter to move freely between different worlds, dimensions, and times. Every book and animated show is actually an alternate world which can be accessed by a knowledgeable shifter. In order to become a shifter, one must first endure years of physical and mental training. The potential shifter must also be Chosen by a Companion before his or her eighteenth birthday. These Companions usually take the form of a horse, although they, like their shifters, can assume any shape. In far off days, shifters split into two separate races; the Skivars and the Galhalar. These races warred for countless generations with terrible losses to both sides, for no one but another shifter has the power to harm a shifter. They possess the powers of all the worlds. Then the Skivar Kayla Megregor, one of the most powerful shifters of her time although only fourteen years old, met and lifebonded with Mikelar Shrohomogist, the strongest of the Galhalar at age fifteen. Together they ended the wars and united the two races into one. Now there is peace, although occasional skirmishes still occur between factions of the two races. Hatred that has been nurtured for hundreds of years cannot be quenched in five. This is when our story really begins.  
  
Characters  
  
Caitlin Megregor: Our leading lady, Kayla's twin sister and the leader of her gang  
  
Chiquit: Caitlin's red roan Companion  
  
Monkey: Caitlin's lifebond, a mischievous character from The Dragon of the Lost Sea books  
  
Sandstorm: Monkey's buckskin Companion  
  
Paul Diverna: A quiet boy, formerly a Galhalar, the third member of Caitlin's gang  
  
Kafran: Paul's palomino Companion  
  
Vegeta: Prince of the Saiya-jins, the fourth member of the gang  
  
Karis: Veggie's Companion, dark bay and almost as grumpy as the Prince himself  
  
Kayla Megregor: Caitlin's twin sister, very famous, leader of her gang and member of the Council  
  
Elberwren: Kayla's black Companion  
  
Mikelar Shrohomogist: Kayla's lifebond, just call him Mike, also a member of the Council  
  
Scheherazad: Mike's bay Companion, named for the Arabian Nights princess, called Sher  
  
Kate Larnesly: Member of Kayla's gang, healer, fire-witch, long red hair  
  
Samurai: Kate's red chestnut Companion  
  
Kaytlyn Craveen: Member of Kayla's gang, quiet, black hair, mysterious  
  
Darkstar: Kaytlyn's Companion, black with white mane and tail  
  
Sierra: Caitlin's white geisbird  
  
Fiesta: Caitlin's queen firelizard  
  
Cinnamon: Paul's kyree  
  
Pronto: Monkey's bronze firelizard  
  
Sarloos: Kayla's kyree  
  
Lytha Rashkae: Gryphon shifter, member of the Council, Skandranon's many- times-great granddaughter  
  
  
  
The Magic of the Shifters  
  
Shifters can use magic from any world that they've visited. I'm using 'magic' as a very loose term, since in this case it covers everything from ki blasts to transformations to rune magic. One of the main facets of shifter 'magic' is mindspeech, or telepathy. Using mindspeech, shifters can talk across great distances and absorb information and even the knowledge of a language from a willing (or unwilling) participant. The more worlds a shifter has visited, the more varied and powerful their magic will be. Ki is seen as relatively obscure magic, since few shifters visit television worlds, and can therefore be used to defeat non-DBZ opponents with relative ease. More 'mainstream' magic includes the Valdemaran mage- gifts, including Fetching, Empathy, and Healing, the Charter magic of the Old Kingdom, Sartan and Patryn rune magic, and magic involving actual spoken spells. But without the ability to absorb the knowledge of how to use this magic from someone who knows it, it would take decades to master even one of these. The only disadvantage to this technique is that it tends to give both the absorber and the absorbee splitting headaches and knock out anyone who isn't prepared for it. So, basically, Shifters can pretty much do whatever they want. Changing into anything, talking to almost anything, and performing any sort of magic they want makes them nearly invincible to anyone who isn't a Shifter as well. However, Shifters are absolutely and totally forbidden to mess with the established timeline and usually shouldn't use magic other than that of the world they're in. Most shifters, contrary to the last unspoken rule, tend to be fairly casual about magic use outside the established timeline and just use whatever magic fits the occasion.  
  
Words to Know  
  
Ashke-beloved  
  
Jel'enedra-younger sister  
  
Zhai'helleva-wind to thy wings 


	2. Has a really long title. Trust me.

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, I don't own DBZ, but I do own all the shifters, 'cept Monkey (Laurence Yep) and Lytha (Mercedes Lackey, but just barely). '' is thoughts, is mindspeech. There is a big difference. Yes, I know the villain is corny. Just go with it.  
  
Chapter 1: Boy meets Girl, Boy Fights Girl, Wait a minute, that's not how it's supposed to go! Oh Well.  
  
Prince Vegeta of the Saiya-jins stalked down the hallway of Frieza's headquarters. His tail lashed in annoyance and frustration. 'Twelve bouts,' he fumed, 'Twelve bouts I fought, and not one of them lasted over ten minutes! I didn't even break a sweat! At this rate, I'll never get a good workout. And I refuse to power down just to make the low class weaklings last longer! It's all those smug alien's fault, not giving me anyone but second rate scum to train against because I'm a "mere monkey". Bah!'  
  
"Are you Prince Vegeta?" a voice asked from in front of him. Vegeta looked up from his venomous contemplation of the floor and saw the speaker. She was a girl, perhaps fifteen, several inches taller than he (well, who isn't?). Her light brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her blue eyes sparkled with.mischief? Anticipation? Vegeta wasn't sure, and in his present mood, didn't much care.  
  
"Yes," he growled shortly. "What's it to you?"  
  
"I heard you were looking for a sparring partner," she said, and grinned fiercely. "I've come to apply for the job."  
  
Vegeta looked at her again, more carefully. Her loose shirt and pants could not conceal the rippling muscles underneath, but still, she didn't seem that strong. "You're a girl," he said contemptuously. "And you're weak. Application denied."  
  
"How do you know I'm weak?" she demanded, flipping the end of her ponytail back over her shoulder. "How can you possibly know until you try me? And what do you mean I'm a girl? You sexist or something?"  
  
Vegeta began to smirk. The girl had spirit, that was sure. "Very well, perhaps I'll do as you suggest." He turned and headed back up the hall towards the recently vacated training room. "Don't blame me if you end up seriously wounded, though. After all, this was your idea."  
  
The girl's only reply was a grin that could have been the mirror image of Vegeta's. She followed him, tossing her ponytail cockily.  
  
The Saiya-jin no Ouji entered the training room, turned, and surveyed the girl again as she looked around. He noticed what was hanging from her belt as she turned towards him.  
  
"That will have to go," he growled, pointing at the long, slim blade at her side. "No weapons during sparring. Not that I can't beat you with or without it, but I prefer hand to hand combat."  
  
"Sure," the girl said, shrugging. "It's gone." As she spoke, the sword disappeared from her side. Blade, scabbard, frog (the thing that holds the scabbard to the belt, in case you were wondering), all were suddenly and completely not there. It was as if they had never been.  
  
Vegeta's eyes widened slightly. "How did you do that?" he asked, careful to sound nonchalant.  
  
The girl's grin widened. "Maybe I'll show you one day. Now, are we gonna spar, or just stand around and yak? I don't have all day, you know."  
  
Vegeta yanked his attention away from the empty spot where a sword had been a moment ago and refocused it on the girl. "Neither do I, as a matter of fact, so let's begin."  
  
With that, the battle (well, spar, anyway) was joined.  
  
* * *  
  
Roughly two hours later, both combatants were sprawled on the floor, exhausted. It would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, to tell which of the two was more sweat-soaked, or who had more small cuts, burn marks, and developing bruises.  
  
"Truce?" the girl panted between gasps for air.  
  
"If you (pant) insist," Vegeta gasped, just as tired as her but unwilling to admit it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girl roll over onto her belly, then push herself up until she was sitting. Vegeta growled under his breath and followed suit. No one would dare interrupt them in his private training room, but it galled him to admit even to himself that he was more tired and sore than a mere girl. The 'mere girl' glanced at her watch and gasped, this time uninspired by exhaustion.  
  
"Oh, kuso!" she exclaimed. "I'm late!" She scrambled to her feet and turned to Vegeta. "Same time tomorrow?" Barely even waiting for his grudging nod of assent, she vanished, leaving Vegeta blinking at the place she had been a moment before.  
  
'How the hell does she do that?' he wondered as he, too, picked himself up, preparatory to leaving in a much more normal fashion. He was more than halfway to his chambers before he realized that he hadn't even gotten her name.  
  
* * *  
  
'Where is that scatterbrained sister of mine? Kayla Megregor wondered. She's ten minutes overdue, and not so much as a mindspeak! There's nothing wrong with her, or Monkey would know,' the shifter glanced over at her twin's lifemate, who was sprawled, in human form but for his tail, unconcernedly over his big, rawboned Companion's back, 'so she's probably somewhere doing something crazy and unshifterish, as usual.'  
  
Suddenly, without so much as a light mindtouch of warning, Caitlin appeared square in the middle of the anteroom, making everyone but the Companions jump.  
  
"Sorry I'm late," she said, grinning at the stir her abrupt entrance had caused. "I got caught up in traffic. Have I missed anything?"  
  
"Caitlin," her twin said in a tone that brooked no nonsense and had cowed evil monsters twice her size. "You're ten, no, eleven minutes late! Where have you been?"  
  
Caitlin grinned Kayla, totally unaffected. "I'll tell you when we're done here. Now, are we going to get officially inaugurated, or should I send my gang home?"  
  
"They're not your gang yet, sister dear, and you would have been inaugurated ten minutes ago if you'd been here." Kayla trailed off, seeing that her lecture was having absolutely no effect on Caitlin. She sighed in a long-suffering way. "I give up! I'll tell the council you've finally arrived, and send Sar back when we're ready. Zhai'helleva, jel'enedra."  
  
"Only by two minutes," Caitlin protested, grinning, "Arigatou, Kayl." Her sister smiled in reply, and left to take her seat in the Council. Caitlin watched her considerably more sober and responsible twin leave, then turned to her soon-to-be partners.  
  
"You guys ready?" she asked.  
  
Monkey grinned down at her from Sandstorm's back. "I've been ready for ten minutes, ashke. Where were you? You may not have told your sister, but you know you'll have to tell me sooner or later."  
  
"And I will," Caitlin replied. "After we finish this ceremony. Paul, what about you?"  
  
The youngest member of the strange threesome gulped nervously and nodded. "As ready as I'm ever going to be, I guess." Caitlin could feel his Companion, kyree, and geisbird all radiating reassurance at the shy boy and hoped they could get him through. She gave Paul an encouraging smile and vaulted into Chiquit's (that's pronounced Chi-keet) saddle, which was little more than an embroidered leather pad, light and stirrupless. There was a swish of wings, and her firelizard Fiesta landed on the left shoulder of her tunic. A light mindtouch of warning preceded Sierra's dramatic entrance. The geisbird swept down from her corner perch with blinding speed and pulled up short at the last minute. Talons strong enough to crack a man's skull open with ease closed on Caitlin's shoulder so gently that they would not have pierced an eggshell. The falcon was a true master of her element.  
  
Show off, Caitlin mind-sent, amused.  
  
Naturally, Sierra replied. Let's get this over with, shall we?  
  
"Okay, guys," Caitlin said out loud. "In formation. Sar will be in to get us any second now." As Chiquit moved to her position in front, Caitlin suddenly realized that her clothes were ripped and had acquired various burn marks from her spar with Vegeta. She looked down.and found that her shirt and pants were neat, clean, and not the ones she had been fighting in.  
  
I took care of it, Chiquit sent smugly. Say thank you, Cait.  
  
Thank you, Cait, her Chosen sent back impudently. "Oops, almost forgot," she added out loud, and Fetched her sword back from her bed, where she had deposited it for the duration of her bout with the Saiya-jin prince. In an eyeblink it was hanging at her side again, and she smiled at the familiar and comforting weight of it. Then everyone's attention turned to the door as the handle moved and it opened. Sarloos, Kayla's dark gray kyree, poked his head into the room.  
  
Are we going now? Cinnamon, Paul's young kyree, asked eagerly, bounding to her feet. Her tail wagged enthusiastically, and Monkey and Caitlin were hard pressed to avoid sniggering at the puppylike image she made. Paul managed a wan smile.  
  
Yes, they're ready for you now, Sarloos answered the young kyree calmly. Just.well, I don't need to show you the way, so just go! Good luck.  
  
"Thanks," Caitlin answered him automatically, as she rode past. Most of her attention was focused on the upcoming ceremony, although she had enough left over to notice Monkey reach up and rub Pronto's head, an uncharacteristically nervous gesture from her normally calm and cocky lifemate. Paul was looking absolutely panic stricken, but hopefully he wouldn't blank out when it was time for them to make their replies.  
  
'If he's this nervous now,' Caitlin thought in a small corner of her mind, 'I wonder how he got through his first initiation?'  
  
You mean after I Chose him? Kafran, Paul's Companion, sent.  
  
That was a private thought, Caitlin sent back, more amused than irritated, then cut off the mare's apology with, But tell me anyway.  
  
It was horrible. Poor Paul had stage fright so badly that I practically had to pry his jaws open and insert his replies word by word. Believe me, he's not nearly as scared this time. That was as far as she got before they entered the Council Chamber.  
  
The shifter council is composed of nine members, to prevent ties when voting on important (and unimportant) matters. Three of these were previously members of the old Skivar council, and three had been in the pre- Unity Galhalar council. Of course, Kayla and her lifebond Mikelar were members, since they had begun and finished the Unity practically single- handedly. The final member was today's designated oath-administerer, and was also the only non-human on the council in her natural form. Lytha Rashkae, many-times-great-granddaughter of the famous Skandranon Rashkae, was a beautiful female gryphon. Her cat half was strikingly leopard- patterned, and her eagle half had been dyed specially to contrast with it, tawny leopard spots on a midnight black background. She looked impressive and predatory in her place at the center of the council, and her golden eyes flashed majestically. Caitlin, however, met her imposing gaze with a sympathetic grin. She had known the gryphon from childhood (Lytha's, not Caitlin's), and knew that underneath her fearsome façade she was probably nearly as nervous as Paul.  
  
Lytha clapped her wings against her sleek sides, and the soft murmurs between council members died away. As soon as silence fell, she began the ceremony.  
  
"Comrades and councilors, we gather here this day to witness the investiture as partners of Caitlin Megregor, Paul Diverna, and Monkey. Shifters, are you prepared to take your oaths?"  
  
The three replied in unison. "We are."  
  
"Then let us begin. To take the partnership oath is to swear to stand forever by the sides of your partners, in war and in peace, until death sends you to the otherworld and beyond. Do you so swear?"  
  
"By our Companions, we swear it," they replied. Paul's face was pale, but determined. Caitlin and Monkey, by contrast, seemed almost bored with these formalities. The true test would be next.  
  
"Then let the proof be shown."  
  
Caitlin took a deep breath and began dismantling her shields. They came down slowly, most of them so ingrained that it took conscious effort to break them, some so deep they were nearly instinct. As they came down, she sent her power flowing gently down her links. This was difficult and tricky, because they had to meet the other half of the link without burning him or her out. It was impossible to 'light' one link without lighting them all, and slowly the air around all three potential partners began to glow with beams that connected to other halves. The Companion bond, the geisbird bond, even Caitlin and Kayla's twin bond, all began to shimmer. However, for the purposes of this ceremony the important bond was the partner-link, and soon that essential bond showed brightly, linking Monkey, Paul, and Caitlin into a glowing triangle. As the light from the figures built to its peak, Lytha took a deep breath to utter her final phrase, the one that would formalize the already-acknowledged group.  
  
"So mote it be!" she boomed, her voice like a great bronze bell. The bright-lit bond gave one final flash, then faded. The three official partners slumped, mentally exhausted, as their shields sprang back up. It was a huge strain to bring their shields down and keep them down while focussing on such a delicate task as 'lighting' bonds. Thoughts and emotions from others intruded without shields to keep them out, but they had succeeded in proving their link.  
  
Caitlin, conscious of her position as leader of her group, drew herself up and saluted the council before Chiquit made a precise turn on the forehand and led the others out. As soon as they were out of the council's view, everyone relaxed. Paul grinned with sheer relief, Monkey threw his cap into the air, and Caitlin lay down, smiling, on Chiquit's back, so that her ponytail mingled with her mare's, causing her two flying friends to take off with reproachful sounds from their perches on her shoulders.  
  
That wasn't so hard, Cinnamon thought with all the arrogance of youth. In fact, it was downright easy! No sweat!  
  
The only reason it was no sweat for you, Kafran sent sardonically. is because kyrees can't sweat.  
  
Cinnamon stuck her tongue out at the companion, a human expression which looked hilarious on her lupine face. Everyone sniggered, and then Lytha entered the room.  
  
"Whew," she sighed, flopping down on the floor. "I'm glad that's finally over. Council meetings, bah! Give me an honest enemy any day."  
  
"Naturally you'd prefer a fight," Monkey said disparagingly. "You're a gryphon. However, I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and no mere ceremony could faze me."  
  
Caitlin and Paul rolled their eyes, and Lytha replied heatedly, "Let's see you sit through about ten of those ceremonies, twice that number of petty complaints, and another ten 'prentice inaugurations and still say that. I'm pooped!"  
  
Monkey grinned. "I was just teasing. So, Caitlin, the ceremony's over. Now will you tell us why you were late?"  
  
Lytha cocked her head inquiringly. "I wanna know too. Tell us, pleeease?"  
  
The new shifter captain chuckled. "You sound just like a little kid when you say that, Lyth. Just a sec, the rest of the council's coming in to congratulate us."  
  
Six of the eight remaining council members drifted in, gave them their polite congratulations, and drifted out again. Mike and Kayla stayed to chat, but every time Kayla tried to ask Caitlin why she had been late Caitlin deftly changed the subject, or even gave her twin an undetectable mental nudge. Finally, after about ten minutes, they left, leaving the new gang and Lytha alone.  
  
Caitlin surveyed the gryphon sternly. "I'm going to tell you why I was late now, but before I do, promise you won't tell the rest of the council, Lyth."  
  
Lytha shrugged. "Okay." As Caitlin gave her a suspicious look, she gryph-grinned mischievously. "C'mon, Cait, you know me. I was your 'prentice once, and I'm still not as stuffy as those other councilors. I won't tell."  
  
Her former teacher grinned back. "Okay, then. I was sparring with Vegeta."  
  
This got mixed reactions. Paul, a devoted DBZ fan, sat bolt upright. "Really!? Sugoi!! Awesome!! I wanna meet him!"  
  
Monkey had been initiated into the joys of anime by Caitlin and Paul, and was similarly devoted. "Omigosh!! With Vegeta!? Was he as cool in person as he is on the show?"  
  
Lytha, who had never even heard of Dragonball Z, just looked blank. "You were sparring with who? What a weird name."  
  
This response got her shocked looks, and then she was bombarded on all sides by floods of information about DBZ, all things having to do with DBZ, and especially Vegeta.  
  
Caitlin shouted for silence. "HEY!" Monkey and Paul stopped chattering and looked at her. "Better. Lyth, if you want to know who Vegeta is, you'd better come to my house and watch some DBZ. Then we'll explain it again, one at a time."  
  
This they did. Lytha assumed human form so that she would fit more easily into Caitlin's living room, and they watched two solid hours of Dragonball Z. During the first episode, Monkey, Paul, and Caitlin kept up a running commentary.  
  
"That's Raditz, Goku's brother. He's evil, but some people have written good fanfic about him."  
  
"That's Goku, the hero. He's gonna die once they fight Raditz, but that's okay 'cause they can wish him back."  
  
"That's Chi-Chi, Goku's wife. She's scary, and she always hits people with a frying pan."  
  
"That's Gohan, Goku's son. Isn't he cute? He's really strong when he gets mad."  
  
"That's Piccolo, he's a bad guy now, but he's gonna turn good soon and get killed when Nappa and Vegeta show up."  
  
"YOU GUYS!" Lytha trumpeted. There was silence, except for the television. "How am I supposed to watch this with you interrupting? Just be quiet, and tell me after." After that, Caitlin's gang was mostly silent. Lytha watched the show in the curiously intent way she reserved for things she was interested in. Afterwards, she received three different commentaries which lasted a total of half an hour and ended with her knowing more than she had ever wanted to know about Dragonball Z.  
  
"Okay," Caitlin said when Paul finished. "So now you know who Vegeta is. I'll be sparring with him again tomorrow, you wanna come?"  
  
"No thanks," Lytha replied. "Can I borrow this tape? I want to watch the rest of the series."  
  
"Sure, just don't lose it, feather face," Monkey said. "It's our only copy."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be careful. See you later." Lytha shifted out with a quiet whuff of air. The three partners sat looking at each other for a moment. Then Caitlin broke the silence.  
  
"So, what should we do now?"  
  
* * *  
  
In the depths of a dark, unvisited world, an ominous figure stirred. Wrax Malefelent had once been a shifter apprentice, but now it was hard too tell that the thin, bone-white thing he had become was even a man. He had been cast out from the ranks of the shifters when his black nature finally made itself known, but his powerful magic had prevented the loss of his memory. He had escaped their grasp with all his knowledge still intact and had secretly gathered his forces. Now, at the end of nearly a century, it was time to wreak his revenge on the descendants of those who had dared revile him. Wrax smiled, if that was a word that could be used to describe such a purely evil expression. His dark broodings were interrupted by a knock at the door.  
  
Wrax stood and opened it. Outside, a servant bowed respectfully. "My lord, we have secured the last of the rods of power. They are in position, and await only one of the proper bloodline to activate them."  
  
"Good," the evil one rasped. "You have done well. Dismissed."  
  
The servant fled, grateful that he had caught his master in a benevolent mood. Wrax regarded his underlings as rats, with the convenient ability to speak. If their message displeased him he was liable to kill them thoughtlessly, but all were too terrified of him to try and escape. Back in the darkness of his study, Wrax gave another demonic smile. The Megregors would soon know his power, when they activated the rods and made him the strongest being in the worlds! 


End file.
